The accolade means Botswana, Africa and the world’s fastest man in the 200m race have made a permanent mark on history
GAZETTE REPORTER
The world’s fastest athlete in the 200m race, Letsile Tebogo, etched his name in Olympic history, capturing the Best Male Athlete award at the ANOC 2024 Awards in Cascais, Portugal over the weekend.
Aged only 21, Tebogo earlier this year sprinted his way to Africa’s first Olympic gold in athletics with a stunning victory in the men’s 200 meters.
His time of 19.46s set an African record and left the Stade de France crowd in awe. The young sensation from Kanye surged past the favourite, America’s Noah Lyles, to secure the victory.
Groundbreaking moment
Reflecting on his groundbreaking moment, Tebogo said at the time: “This victory isn’t just for me; it’s for Botswana, for Africa. We’ve shown we can compete with the best.”
But Tebogo’s historic run wasn’t over. Hours after his individual victory, he anchored the Botswana men’s 4x400m relay team in a dramatic race that saw them clinch silver, narrowly behind the United States.
With Bayapo Ndori, Collen Kebinatshipi, and Anthony Pesela, Botswana clocked an impressive 2:54.53s, just a heartbeat behind the US team that set an Olympic record of 2:54.43s.
Nigel Amos
Tebogo’s double-medal achievement in Paris marked a pivotal moment for Botswana, a country that previously held only two Olympic medals, courtesy of Nijel Amos’ silver in the 800m race at the London 2012 Games and bronze in the 4x400m relay in Tokyo.
His success has ignited pride across Africa, representing a new era for the Mother Continent on the world’s biggest athletics stage.
As Tebogo walked away with the Best Male Athlete accolade, the young sprinter’s extraordinary year stood as a testament to his resilience, determination and talent.
“I’m here to show what Botswana can do,” Tebogo shared at the time, his voice filled with the conviction of an athlete who had only begun to make his mark on history.